Who We Are:

We're a collection of strategists, writers, creatives, technologists, designers and more - some of the best talents in the communications industry. Creative. Proactive. Eager to solve problems. The kind of people you wouldn't mind sitting next to on a long flight, not to mention enjoy a happy hour with. Yup, the best team in the biz.

Who We Work With:

Brands that matter, and clients that get it. Simple right? So far, so good.

What We Do:

Picture a Venn diagram with a circle for traditional PR, social, digital and paid. See where they intersect? That's where we are; that's where we operate. It's more than integrated - It's about time.

Where Our Heart Is:

We believe greater good work matters, as much to our team as it does to the causes we support. From reduced retainers to our pro-bono program - The Passion Project, we strive to make a difference. We believe it's important. And we're just getting started.

Services

ONE-OF-A-KIND PLANS MADE FROM SCRATCH.EACH SOLUTION DIFFERENT, EACH OPPORTUNITY UNIQUE.

The nature of the game has changed, but the elements of good traditional PR remain alive and well. From pitching reporters to generating content to measurement and monitoring, we've got a ton of experience securing earned media in today's new media landscape, with good storytelling still the gold standard that moves the needle in an awfully real way.

It's one thing to come up with the big ideas (we've got a lot of those), but it's quite another to be able to build them too. We can do that. We've got a full tech and design team ready to build a website, social application or mobile experience whenever you are, just say the word.

Not long ago, the game was all about bulk banner ad buys, throwing integrated communications efforts out the door. Times have changed. We can run killer, calculated Facebook or Twitter ad campaigns for you with a crazy low CPC, we can negotiate unique partnerships that strategically position your brand or we can hire a sky writer. (Let's not hire a skywriter)

PRWeek Best Place To WorkAgency Of The Year Shortlist#Swag

Partner Focus

TOGETHER WE GAME

It's a project unlike any before it: a large consumer brand reaching out to its audience to empower them to become video game designers and make decisions at each stage in the development process. Using a custom subreddit as our platform, we are brainstorming with Logitech fans on game elements like theme, setting, playfield and economy. Along the way, we are passing those decisions onto our game development team, sharing the development progress and, in the end, presenting brainstorming fans with a free, playable tower defense video game that they had a hand in creating. As one fan put it best: "Thanks for doing this! I hope you find it as rewarding as I do."

MAKE VEGAS YOURS

The Make Vegas Yours campaign drives awareness around an exciting brand partnership between Hyatt and MGM by seamlessly integrating promotional content amidst breathtaking editorial. All showcased on a responsive content hub site known to host real-time updates, the Make Vegas Yours homepage is also home to a wide array of colorful user-generated images, videos and social posts. With content this enticing, users can't help but visit the site again and again and share content across social channels for the chance to redeem Hyatt Gold Passport rewards points at some of MGM's most sought after Vegas resorts and vice versa. Robust SEO, thoughtful social media strategy and highly targeted paid promotion are key drivers behind this campaign's incredible success.

IT'S NOT OVER

We were asked to help make young people take notice and take action around an epidemic that they've long since grown tired of hearing about. Our approach? We made a movie. Like, a real, feature length documentary movie. It's called It's Not Over and it comes out December 1st. Directed by noted documentarian Andrew Jenks, it personalizes and humanizes the HIV/AIDS epidemic in a way few films have. This is going to be big.

AL'S BEEF

Our team took over downtown Chicago to announce football legend Mike Ditka's partnership with restaurant franchises, Al's Beef and Nancy's Pizza. The launch event featuring Mike Ditka resulted in a Chicago media takeover with coverage from ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times, Chicago Business Journal, Crain's Chicago, Chicago Eater, Crave Chicago and many more! Spreading the news nationally, the team also garnered broad-reaching coverage with Fox Sports Radio, Sports Business Daily, Fast Casual, Food & Beverage, QSR and more. In total, the Ditka news was heard far and wide through more than 65 media placements in two weeks!

Andrew Pray has been leading integrated PR campaigns that cover social, digital and traditional media for nearly a decade, partnering with a who's who list of global brands including M.A.C Cosmetics, Logitech, Microsoft, Warner Brothers, Sony, StubHub, TiVo, ESPN, Novartis, Amazon.com, Mountain Dew, PepsiCo, and Hotels.com along the way.

Prior to founding Praytell Strategy, Pray worked with Ruder Finn for five years, including posts in London, New York and San Francisco. He led digital strategy and consumer PR while at the agency. Pray also worked with Waggener Edstrom and Antenna Group, both based in San Francisco.

Pray started his career as an on-air reporter for CBS television stations in Lincoln, NE and Cheyenne, WY and also worked as a producer and news writer for KPIX, the CBS affiliate in San Francisco.

Andy lives in Brooklyn where he is addicted to the Minnesota sports, reading movie reviews on Thursday mornings and fecklessly waiting for the day that he can finish a Sunday Times crossword puzzle like his dad.

CLAUDIO TARATUTAMANAGING PARTNER

Claudio is a Managing Partner at Praytell Strategy overseeing the account and strategy teams. His primary focus is on everything Logitech, but provides strategic insights across all clients. Claudio oversees our content development, monitoring, measurement and social listening for the majority of our clients while also keeping in mind client's goals and objectives ensuring that our client's stay relevant in today's fast paced world.

Prior to joining Praytell Strategy Claudio worked on the Oreo account leading the charge on the Oreo Daily Twist Campaign. The campaign won various awards such as a Webby, Facebook Studio Award, ANDY, ADDY Award, CLIO and others. Beyond loving tech and cookies, Claudio worked on accounts such as Wendy's, Mountain Dew, Amp Energy, Tanqueray and Verizon Wireless.

Claudio currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife. He commutes to work on his bike averaging a massive 4 miles a day. While not at work Claudio enjoys going to see live bands, traveling and cooking up a storm.

BETH CLEVELANDMANAGING PARTNER

Beth Cleveland is passionate about helping companies tell their story in a strategic, meaningful way. She has led public relations programs for a range of clients including OfficeMax, Orient-Express, Threadless, Hill's, Mentos, Fender, Gold Eagle Co., Cisco WebEx, Fox Searchlight and more.

Recognizing the rapidly changing media landscape, Beth founded Elm Public Relations in 2007 to offer a blended approach to PR, leveraging traditional and new media opportunities. Her public relations campaigns include the first ever live blogger webcast, ElfYourself holiday campaign, cause initiatives and more that garnered extensive media coverage and secured awards from South by Southwest, PROMO Interactive, MIXX Awards and The Bulldog Awards.

Earlier in her career, she supported technology and consumer brands at Antenna Group Public Relations and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide and developed publicity campaigns and premier events for new films at Solomon Friedman Entertainment. Beth also managed PR and marketing programs internally for Fender overseeing media and artist relations, during which she helped design a new guitar line.
Beth holds an honors degree in journalism and mass communications from University of Colorado at Boulder (Go Buffs) along with a minor in fashion and self-declared degree in medicine after listening to countless hours of trauma stories from her ER physician husband.

BEN HALLCREATIVE DIRECTOR

Ben Hall brings more than 10 years of digital design experience to Praytell Strategy, having brought designs to life for the likes of Microsoft, T-Mobile, Mountain Dew, Citibank, HBO, Boy Scouts of America, DirecTV, DELL, Herman Miller and Samsung.

Ben began his career as a UX designer at Microsoft, working closely with usability engineers and their labs to create a new look and feel for MSN.com. Ben made the leap to the agency world in 2007 where he was creative lead for T-Mobile, the largest account at Garrigan Lyman Group in Seattle. Since moving to New York, Ben has worked with agencies including Jack Morton, Havas Worldwide and RFI Studios, during which he helped drive the Mountain Dew Throwback Shack, which won PRWeek's Best Microsite Award.

Ben lives in New Jersey with his wife, twins and a toddler, spending most of his free time chasing children and taking photos with his classic film cameras.

We believe that cutting edge integrated communications shouldn't just go to those who have deep pockets. We also know from experience that today's creative class wants to be involved with projects that matter on a personal level. That's where the Passion Project comes in. We're giving away our services for free to causes we care about. We want to help nonprofits that have an incredible story to tell but could use a little help from some friends. This is going to be awesome.

UPDATE

We are finalizing our first full cycle of the Passion Project - we're excited to share news about our work with three incredible organizations in the coming months! The next Passion Project enrollment period will open in March of 2015.